Transparent sheet protector



rim s, 1952 G. W. AMBERG TRANSPARENT SHEET PROTECTOR Filed July 20, 1949\\/if; fig/ v\\ IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 8, 1952 TRANSPARENT SHEET PROTECTOR Gilbert W. Amberg,Kaikakee, Ill.. assignor to Amberg File and Index Company, Kankakee,Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July zo, m49', serial No.105,776

This invention relates to an improved protecting, supporting andreinforcing unit for carrying materials desired to be displayed in looseleaf note books and at the same time obviating the necessity of removingthe protective device during the display of such materials. Moreparticularly, this invention is directed to new and improved reinforcingmeans to be employed in conjunction with a transparent plastic or sheetacetate folder.

It will be readily understood that in many lines of commercial sampledisplay work, photographs or data sheets may be conveniently employed toillustrate a particular product or service. For this purpose,convenience of use has suggested the loose leaf note book as anapplicable form in which to carry such materials. At the same time, therepeated handling of such materials, photographs, diagrams and the likeresulted in much wear and tear on the displays. The solution of thisvexing problem called for some method of protection from abrasion andthe caustic effects of repeated handlings. Transparent sheets of sometype designed to separate and cover the display materials seemed to be afair solution, except that their use introduced added bulk to the notebook and inconvenience to the user in that the note book rings or postconnectors caused progressive wear and tear on the transparentprotective sheets, often resulting in the tearing away of the protectivesheets in the areas through which the note book rings had been inserted.

Reinforcement methods and means have been utilized in the past toobviate the disadvantages of tearing the plastic sheets, but otherconsequential disadvantages appeared, such as undue bulk, weight andthickness, and also binding of the reinforcing means when turning theprotective units with the enclosed displays, especially if the note bookcontained a large number of sheets. Still another disadvantage haspresented itself where single, transparent sheets or separators wereused between the individual display sheets in that often the sheetswhich were to be protected would fray and tear along their outer edges,due to the canting of the protective sheets on the note book rings,requiring frequent renewal of the displays.

It is one of the objects of this invention to overcome the disadvantageof the tearing of the transparent sheet protectors and the displaymaterials by the note book rings through the utilization of a new andimproved metal reinforcing member which will absorb all the wear fromthe l claim. (cl. lai- 20) note book rings and, thusly, prevent wearingand tearing of the protector sheets and displays. l Another object ofthis invention is to provide a new and useful reinforcing metalprotector sufficiently thin to prevent binding of the transparentfolders during the leafing operation of the note book displays.

A further object of this invention is to provide a reinforcing annularring of sufficient thinness to prevent undue bulkiness of the protectiveunits and so arranged in the unit that its outer surfaces do not extendbeyond the outer surfaces of the protective transparent cover leaves.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a protective unitthat will prevent the wearing and fraying of the edges of the displaymaterials.

These and other objects will appear as the following specificationproceeds, and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a plan View of a protective unit made in accordance with thespecification of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, partial plan view of the binder receivingportion of the folder viewed in Figure l showing the construction,location and features of the annular protection ring; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 ofFigure 2 showing the construction and arrangement of the annularprotection ring on the upper leaf of the folder shown in Figure l.

The display folder or protective unit shown in Figure 1 is composedchiefly of a suitably sized, single sheet ID of thin, transparentsubstantially incompressible and flexible material folded back on itselfthrough a straight angle, or along an imaginary axis displaced a desireddistance from an imaginary vertical center line. Folded in this fashion,the single sheet I0 comprises an upper leaf ll and a slightly widerlower leaf l2. The excessive width of the lower leaf l2 may be foldedback on the upper surface of the lower leaf through another straightangle, or 180, to form a holding lip I3 under which the upper leaf Ilmay be inserted (see Fig. 1).

In the particular form of the invention shown in Figures l, 2 and 3 aninner filler sheet I4 may be inserted between the upper and lower leavesfor purposes of mounting the display materials thereon. Such a fillersheet is not essential to the sense of my invention as seen in thatfigure, however. A series of two or more apertures l5 may be punchedalong the left hand margin of the unit for receiving note book bindingrings, not shown. In the preferred form shown in Figure 1, the aperturesappear as annular openings, although other suitable shapes may bedesirable and employed without departing from the spirit and scope ofthis invention.

Means for reinforcing the apertures I5 and preventing tearing of thetransparent sheet I0 around these openings, comprise a series ofprotective reinforcing members II, herein shown in their preferred formas annular in shape. The reinforcing members I'I may be made of anythin, pliable metal, such as brass or copper, and are of a class ofconventional type, fiat-headed rivets Well known to those familiar withthe art. Two or more of these reinforcing members are inserted in 'thedesired apertures I5 of thev upper leaf I I and pressed thereon underhammer blow or pressures until their upper and lower heads I8 and I8,respectively, are pressed atly together with the adjacent andsurrounding sheet IU firmly held therebetween (see Fig. 3). It will benoted that, depending on the requirements and location of the bindingrings, the reinforcing members may be placed in any two or more of theapertures I5 along the left hand margin of the upper leaf, as seen inFigure l, thus making a readily adaptable and convenient reinforcingmeans for receiving the note book rings.

To aid in ease of assembling the display materials in the folder and toreduce the binding effect of the inserted folder on the note book rings,relief apertures 20, registering with the apertures I5 and reinforcingmembers I "I, may

be punched out of the lip I3, the filler sheet I4 and the lower leaf I2.Such apertures 20 are enlarged over the size of the apertures I5 cut inthe upper leaf. This construction is to be preferred, since the enlargedopenings reduce the over-all bulk and thickness of the folder in itsclosed state and permit greater facility in inserting the note bookrings through the reinforced apertures I5. In this respect, it is 'to benoted that with the enlarged openings 20 opposite the reinforcingmembers I1, the over-all thickness of the members I'I is not greaterthan the combined thickness of the three-ply edgeA consisting of theupper and lower leaves and the lip. This desirable feature means lessbulk, and is due to the at headed construction of the reinforcingmembers I1 (see Figs. 2 and 3) While I have herein shown and described apreferred form in which this invention may appear, it will be readilydiscernable that numerous changes, modifications and the use ofequivalents may be used Without departing from the spirit and scope ofthis invention, and, therefore, I do not wish to be limited to thespecic embodiments herein illustrated, except as may appear in thefollowing appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

For use in a looseleaf style of notebook binder, a transparent displayprotective unit comprising, a substantially rectangular first leafelement, a second leaf element superposed coextensively with said firstleaf element and integrally joined therewith along one marginal edge, alip element, overlapping a second marginal edge of said second leafelement opposite said one marginal edge thereof, and integrally joinedwith said rst leaf element; a plurality of spaced binder receivingapertures formed in said second leaf element beneath said lip, aplurality of opencentered, metal rivets, one mounted in each of saidapertures and having opposite head ends thereof turned radially outwardto meet opposite faces of said second leaf element for reinforcing theperiphery of said apertures therein, said rivet head ends protrudingoutwardly from said opposite faces of said second leaf in an amountsubstantially not in excess of the thickness of the adjacent portions ofsaid lip and second leaf elements, and enlarged relief apertures formedin both said lip and first leaf element registeringly with theprotruding heads of said rivets, each for receiving one of saidprotruding rivet heads therein, whereby the thickness of that marginaledge of said unit in which said rivets are mounted does not exceedsubstantially'the combined thicknesses of both said leaf elements andsaid lip element.

GLBERT W. AMBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,018,459 Walker Feb. 27, 19122,232,975 Schade Feb. 25, 1941 2,463,833 Vernon Mar. 8, 1949

